Love or Duty
by kaleidoscopedisaster
Summary: A one-shot. It's Valentines day and Minako skips school to make peace with the unforgivable.


Minako was already late. So late there wasn't even a point to hurrying to school...or even going. She'd hear an earful from Ami and Rei would hiss at her, telling her she was no good at being anything. She wanted to miss the big hub-bub of today. Which was ironic since it was a holiday about love and attraction as well as everything else she stood for. She turned the corner passed Juuban High and followed the road to the man she shouldn't be seeing. She knew he was pent up on his laptop looking for the newest sign of the world ending. The thought of that made her smile to herself.

Artemis, who was laying over her shoulder opened his eyes to see his owner pass the school. He began to mutter about her irresponsibility.

"…with this example, you'll be lucky if Usagi graduates." She rolled her eyes at her guardian.

"Go bother Luna." With her frank remark she bent down and dug around in her school bag. She uncovered a wrapped chocolate morsel. She winked as she unwrapped and placed the small piece of chocolate in his mouth and patted his head.

"There." She smiled to her companion. He saw the familiar dreamy look in her eyes. Although, he couldn't place the look he was immediately filled with distaste. "Happy Valentine's day, Artemis!" Artemis closed his eyes and swallowed the chocolate in haste but by the time he tried to reprimand her, she was gone.

"Minako!" He sighed. His eyes darted to the apartment building across the street where he saw the tail end of blonde hair. He dodged and weaved through traffic.

By the time he reached the doors, he caught a glimpse of Minako in the elevator gripping a bag of burnt cookies covered in frosting. Out of breath, he watched them close just as he reached the elevator. He jolted up the first staircase he could find. After seven flights of stairs, he finally saw Minako. She was standing in front of a door he'd never seen. She froze with an outstretched balled up fist inches from the door and one foot behind her ankle. She took a deep breath and she knocked on the door.

A man who looked to be about ten years her senior appeared at the door. Although his fair almost white hair, dark skin, and serious demeanor at first glance would make him seem older than he was. He towered over the small blonde. Artemis sighed. Another one of Minako's "first loves". Artemis wondered who he was and how the great goddess of love and beauty had won him over. He put his arm across the door frame and put a hand through his hair. Artemis noticed his dismayed almost pained reaction.

"No." He said in his ancient voice. "No, Venus, go home." He was shocked to hear her true identity on this man's lips. Just who was this man? He said her name breathlessly as if the sight of this girl had sucked all the oxygen out of him.

Her eyes narrowed. "You don't even know why I'm here." The man wrapped his hand around the wrist holding the cookies. He lifted the petite bag of crisps decorated with hearts and tied together with a red ribbon to his eye level.

"Valentine's day, am I correct?" The man cocked his eyebrow and gently set her arm back to her side. Her face bloomed a bright pink. Artemis hated how vulnerable this man made her. "Venus, please don't think that I'm completely blinded by my new surroundings."

She looked to him with a faux fury. "And if I am here for Valentine's Day?" Both hands balled up in fists lied on her hips. Although the man made a great deal to discourage her interest, Artemis couldn't help but notice how his body leaned into her. Their eye contact never swayed. Their lips parted as if they both had something they couldn't say. Although their actions were remote, he knew there was something between them.

His gray eyes broke first. He looked around the hall as if looking for a reason to leave. Minako stood on top of her of her toes. She smirked knowing she was in control. She grabbed his collar and pulled him to her level.

"Hmm, Kunzite?" A smile crawling up her lips. Artemis was startled at the name he hadn't heard for years besides when Minako rolled over in her sleep and muttered it. He was suddenly perplexed, shocked, and unable to form coherent thoughts besides: What was he doing back? Were they all back? How long? Do the others know? Are they in a relationship?

Kunzite stood hunched over in Venus's grasp. Their faces were centimeters apart and their eyes locked on each other once more. His hands hovered close to her as if he was suppressing himself from touching her. Without breaking eye contact, Minako raised the cookie bag and untied the ribbon with her teeth. She outstretched the bag to him.

Kunzite sighed and hung his head. "Why do you do this to me?" He sighed once more and dipped his hand in the cookie bag. He grabbed a frosting covered cookie topped with what seemed to be an entire bottle of orange sprinkles. Mina giggled at the perplexed look. He stood up right and placed the cookie in his mouth. He chewed slowly and smirked.

"Well?"

"Well, it's comforting to know that even though we've been apart for millenniums," Minako's eyes filled with hope as she waited for Kunzite to finish his statement. He brushed back a few of her bangs and leaned to her forehead. His lips resting close to her head. "Your cooking skills haven't changed." He smirked as Minako gaped. "One would think that your cooking skills would have improved. Especially since you ignited an Elysian kitchen trying to recreate a Venusian delicacy from memory."

"What does that mean?" She slapped his chest.

Kunzite chuckled and crossed his arms. "It means that your cookies taste like the bottom of an oven." He leaned against the door frame in a relaxed manor that Artemis hadn't seen before. He smiled now that she was enraged.

Minako stamped her foot." Just because I dropped them in there doesn't mean they aren't still good!"

"That's precisely what it means." He teased. "How did you even manage to drop the cookies into the bottom of the oven?"

She shrugged. "I got distracted, okay?" They stared at each other for a moment before Minako groaned and threw the bag at his feet. "Goodbye, Kunzite."

Minako began to walk the opposite direction as Kunzite deliberated in the doorway. She turned the corner at the end of the hall and he began to run after her. Artemis slyly walked behind him. Kunzite turned the corner and ran down the next hall. He turned over his shoulder as Minako giggled.

"I knew if I pitched a fit you'd follow."

Kunzite's eyes narrowed. "I felt like owed you an apology. I can be a bit ill-mannered at times. Obviously, you're fine." A few moments passed and there was no retort. His eyes softened. He tried to speak but her silly demeanor left her. She looked almost as old as him. Her arms hung to her side and her eyes darted across the room before she bowed her head.

Minako sighed. "We really don't know how to act around each other." Kunzite opened his mouth to disagree but Minako wagged her finger. "I'm right and you know it's true."

"I told you we should stay away from each other."

She nodded. "True." She twirled a piece of hair between her fingers. "But I didn't want to think you were right."

"You never do." He whispered. She nodded with a bittersweet smile. She hated moments like this. Moments like this only happened with him. She felt like she was at a spoon—or some other utensil—in the road and neither path seemed clear. She actually had to think. She had to make a conscious decision. So she made hers. She'd be taking the path of duty and ignore her feelings for him, once more.

"I brought you those cookies..." She muttered to the floor. He leaned closer to her. Her fists balled up once more. Her nails cutting into her skin. She faced him and look him straight in the eyes. He had seen that look once before when he watched her plunge a sword through him. The look contained an odd mixture of duty and sadness as well as some sort of resolution. She spoke clearly and stood firmly. "I brought you those cookies as a peace offering. If we're to be friends or co-leaders or lovers or even strangers!" She sighed as her heart sunk. "I want you to know that the past is the past." He was taken aback at the return of the soldier he once knew. "I won't judge you for who you are now because of your former self. But I don't forgive you." She paused. "I don't think I ever can and that I'm sorry for. But for now, I'll leave you alone. I know it was stupid to ever think we could be...anything again."

Minako smiled out of habit but it was full of remorse. She turned away from him and almost unknowingly kicked Artemis as she walked away. Artemis shook his head as he went back down the several flights of staircases. Kunzite shuffled a good distance behind her. He watched her walk into the elevator. She felt his eyes on her. She immediately looked up smiled and waved goodbye but the look in her eyes hadn't changed. The elevator doors closed and he let his composure he had struggle to maintain leave.

That look had killed him twice.


End file.
